The Writing Circle

The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas

Summary borrowed from Barnes and Noble:

They call themselves the Leopardi Circle—six members of a writing group who share much more than their works in progress.

When Nancy, whose most recently published work is a medical newsletter, is asked to join a writing group made up of established writers, she accepts, warily. She's not at all certain that her novel is good enough for the company she'll be keeping. Her novel is a subject very close to her heart, and she isn't sure she wants to share it with others, let alone the world. But Nancy soon finds herself as caught up in the group's personal lives as she is with their writing.

She learns that nothing—love, family, loyalty—is sacred or certain.

In the circle there's Gillian, a beautiful, scheming, world-famous poet; Bernard, a pompous but lovable biographer; Virginia, a respected historian and the peacemaker of the group, who also happens to be Bernard's ex-wife; Chris, a divorced father and successful thriller writer; and Adam, the youngest of the group, an aspiring novelist who is infatuated with Gillian. And then there's Nancy, an unassuming fiction writer embarking on a new chapter in her own life. They meet to read their work aloud and offer feedback. Over the course of a year, marriages are tested, affairs begin, and trust is broken.

Through their complicated relationships, these eccentric characters share their families, their beds, and their histories, and soon find that buried secrets have a way of coming to light. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this richly engaging tale of love, betrayal, and literature.

My Thoughts:

I read this book for the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club. The story is about the members if the Leopardi Circle, a writing group. At first I must say the book was not holding my interest. I couldn't seem to even care about the characters in the book. The short little peeks into the lives of the members didn't seem to be enough in the beginning of the book. As soon as I was learning about a character, the chapter would end and the story would move on to the next character. These characters are very dysfunctional and flawed. Somewhere after the middle of the book, the story drew me in and I read straight through to the shocking ending. If you can get passed the beginning and don't mind an ending that leaves you both speechless and bewildered, you will enjoy this book. I did wish the ending was a bit more wrapped up. I had many questions after the ending which would make this ideal for book club discussions.

I give this book 3 stars.